Grover believes that elite athletes’ mentality can be applied to any pursuit in life. He feels that mental conditioning is actually more important than physical conditioning, even in sport. His training regime, which he calls a “dictatorship,” is “relentless in pursuit of excellence” (42). He reiterates that all success is rooted in showing up and doing the work, pushing past discomfort, laziness, and anxiety to do so. Cleaners tend to prioritize the hardest tasks; this helps them build confidence. To be successful like a Cleaner, one must desire the goal more than one hates the discomfort of getting there. In athletics, Grover teaches that players must control their bodies instead of allowing their bodies to control them. He works players very hard, always trying to challenge their mental or physical stamina to ensure that they actually grow as players.

He laments how many training regimes try to seem easy and accessible to motivate people to do them. For instance, he calls short home workouts an “insult” and claims that they don’t help people achieve real fitness. While becoming fit is certainly uncomfortable, so is being unhealthy or overweight, so Grover urges the reader to choose the uncomfortable path that ends in success. Grover brags that his diet regimen for players is so strict that it gives them sugar withdrawal and that some players are tempted to quit within the first few days because his workouts are so hard. He concludes by claiming that while other trainers will allow players to skip workouts or dictate the terms of their training, his clients must submit to his rigorous approach.

Grover’s tough-love approach to coaching emerged at a time when athletes and athletic organizations were beginning to speak out about approaches that prioritized performance above mental and physical well-being; for instance, knowledge of the prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in football players became widespread in the 2010s, with the NFL acknowledging it in 2016. Grover’s book pushes back against concerns of this kind, but his belief that a high degree of discomfort is tolerable in the pursuit of success may alienate readers navigating less high-stakes circumstances. 

Chapter Lessons

• Success is always rooted in hard work.
• Building mental and physical stamina means embracing discomfort and challenge.
• Cleaners do not shy away from or put off hard tasks.

Reflection Questions

• The author claims that mental stamina and confidence are crucial. What was the most mentally challenging task or period you have been through? What abilities did you develop from this experience?
• Grover glorifies hard work and exhaustion in pursuit of excellent results. Do you believe in all-out work or making more moderate gains? Why?
• The author feels that discomfort is inherent in many paths and outcomes. Which form of discomfort would you like to embrace more of? In pursuit of what goal?